Fabriano to Pioraco

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We spent an extra day in Fabriano for a day of rest after a full week of bike touring.  I took advantage of the rest day by doing some walking around, grocery shopping and cooking at home. It is always so nice to eat a nice meal or two at home after so much restaurant time. Fabriano is best known for its paper production. It was one of the first places in Europe to produce paper.  I wished that I was not bicycle touring so I could stick up on some of their fine water color paper. 


Jim chose to not rest and did a mountain bike ride into the mountains nearby.



  He saw this monument on the mountaintop. 


We looked it up and Michele Scarponi was an Italian cyclist who died tragically in an accident with a car on a training ride.  At the time of his death he was the leader of the Astana team and it was right before the Tour de France.  

We head out the next day to ride to Pioraco.  The ride is through lush green valleys. 




And we ride through many a quiet town. 





We ride a few long stretches of gravel roads. 



The largest town we rode through this day is Metalica with its very unique fountain in its main piazza. 


Then the approach to Pioraco is a cut in the mountains. 



We find our lodging which seems to be one of the few places open in this quiet town.  Your classic old Italian hotel.  We check in and have an apertivi before checking out the sites. 


This town has clear mountain streams running all around the town, even under and around buildings.  




We found a trail that took us to waterfalls and cave monsters.  





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